Int’l Workshop…

Int’l workshop on The Role of Micro Hydro for Developing Countries in KathmanduApril 19 to 22, 2013

The international workshop conducted in Kathmandu during 19 – 22 April on development of technology and its application for the benefit to rural people by creating access to electricity concluded adopting a meaningful resolution. The international event was inaugurated by Minister for Energy, Science & Technology and Environment Er. Umakant Jha. NAST VC Prof. Dr. Surendra Raj Kafle, Executive head of NAM S&T Centre Prof. Dr. Arun Prakash Kulshrestha, Executive Director of AEPC Prof. Dr. Govind Raj Pokharel NAST Secretary Prof. Dr. Prakash Chandra Adhikari also spoke on the occasion.

The three day jamboree of 22 representatives from 17 countries (Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Malawi, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Vietnam, Zambia and Zimbabwe) and around 25 experts, academicians and micro hydro professionals from Nepal took part in discussing on the methodologies, government initiatives and experiences of professionals. The participants agreed for the exchange of knowledge, skill and experience so as micro hydropower be more effective and accessible to the target groups.

Micro hydro, the technology for small sized hydropower projects of upto 100 kW, is not only to bring light into people’s lives in the off grid locality but also give energy and water security to population, make people economically more stable, reduce the physical work load for women, enable the mechanization of rural industries and lessen environmental damages from cutting wood for fuel and heat or harming aquatic fauna and flora. Moreover, no waste or by-products are produced unlike the energy generation based on fossil sources. Many countries have begun to embrace micro hydro technology as a viable and alternative source of energy, especially for remote and rural areas. There are different replicable success stories on micro hydro based projects in many developing countries.

In order to explore wider prospects and share the best practices on micro hydro, the centre for Science and Technology of Non-Aligned and Other Developing Countries (NAM S&T Centre) and Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) in collaboration with Alternative energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) organized the international workshop on ‘The Role of Micro Hydro for Developing Countries’ in Kathmandu.

As the event aimed at the overall objective to demonstrate micro hydro technology, its implementation and sharing the success stories to explore replication of successful models among the developing countries. The workshop provided a valuable platform for sharing of knowledge, transfer of technology and capacity building, coordination and networking among experts and professionals of the developing countries. The workshop was successful to deliberate on various aspects of micro hydro such as the potential and benefits of micro and mini hydro; micro hydro turbines and their head range; site selection; micro hydro installation, commissioning and maintenance; integrated approaches with other forms of non-conventional sources of energy; ecological implications; energy-social-employment correlations; policy and planning issues, training etc.

The Centre for Science & Technology of the Non-Aligned and Other Developing Countries is an international organization with a membership of 46 countries spread over Asia, Africa, Middle East and Latin America. The centre was set up in 1989 in New Delhi (India) in pursuance of recommendations of various NAM Summit meetings for the promotion of South-South cooperation in science and technology is one of the organizers. Likewise, Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), established in 1982 with the main objective of the advancement of science and technology for overall development of the country is also organizer of the workshop while Alternative Energy Promotion Centre, established by the Government of Nepal in 1996 as a focal agency for the promotion and development of renewable energy technologies in the country is active supporter of the event. AEPC, under the Ministry of Science & Technology and Environment, extend technical and financial supports to community level for easier access to renewable energy, enhance technical capabilities to non-governmental organization and private sector involved in renewable energy sector for target people. It also channelizes the cooperations of donor countries, agencies and financial institutions for the renewable energy for rural people.

The Regional Centre of Excellence in Micro Hydro (RCEMH) established in Nepal with initiation of Alternative Energy Promotion Centre and USAID/Neapl, during the discussions, offered itself as a common platform for developing countries for standardization of micro and small hydropower system and its components, generating and sharing relevant database as well as knowledge, networking among the professionals, capacity building and carrying out collaborative research for enhancement of efficiency, reduction of cost, expansion of technological domains, and identification of strategy for up-scaling, which was greatly appreciated by the participants.

Nepal Micro/Mini Hydropower Development Association (NMHDA), the umbrella organization of privately run companies and firms working with micro hydropower technology in Nepal has been associated for the successful organization of the international event. WECAN (Water and Energy Consultants’ Association Nepal), Tribhuwan University – Centre for Energy Studies, Kathmandu University also took part to conduct the event.

A day-long field visit to two micro hydropower plants was organized for foreign participants at Karamdanda Micro Hydropower Project (17 kW) located at BP Highway in Kavre and Chhange Khola Micro Hydropower Project (16 kW) at Dumja, Sindhuli. The participants also visited the Centre for Excellence in Production & Transportation of Electrical Energy (CEPTE/KU), Department of Civil & Geomatics Engineering, Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel where a mini-grid is currently in its prototype design stage.

(25/April/2013/PNR)

KATHMANDU RESOLUTION – 2013

Int’l workshop on The Role of Micro-hydel for Developing Countries

WHILE EXPRESSING GRATITUDE to the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), the host of the International Workshop on “The Role of Micro Hydel for Developing Countries” in Kathmandu, Nepal during 19 – 22 April 2013;

EXPRESSING APPRECIATION to the Centre for Science and Technology of the Non-aligned and Other Developing Countries (NAM S&T Centre) for co-organising the International Workshop and also to the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC), Kathmandu, Nepal as the collaborator of this scientific event;

RECOGNISING THAT micro and small hydropower is a mature, viable and clean alternative energy technology, especially for remote and rural areas that not only brings light into people’s lives in the locality, but also ensures energy and water security to population, makes people economically more stable, reduces the physical workload, in particular for women, enables the mechanisation of rural industries, has potential to lessen the use of conventional energy and its negative impacts, saves fauna and flora;

EXTENSIVELY DELIBERATING ON the replicable success stories on micro and small hydropower based projects in developing countries, including Nepal and exploring the wider prospects and sharing the best practices on micro and small hydropower;

Developing and other countries shall take initiatives to enhance the development of micro and small hydropower plants as an environment friendly resource through the application of advanced and compatible technologies to meet the demand of growing population on energy and conservation to protect themselves from future energy crises and secure a more sustainable development path;

Separate but similar policy for rural electrification should be formulated in the developing countries by incorporating the role of isolated and national grid connected micro and small hydropower plants;

The governments of developing countries shall facilitate the possible role of micro and small hydropower plants for global green house gases (GHG) emission reduction;

The governments of the developing countries shall provide financial and technical assistance to the stakeholders of micro and small hydropower sector through a dedicated body, which also supports capacity building as well as Research & Development activities;

Governments shall be involved in the process of development of micro and small hydropower plants in People-Public-Private Partnership (PPPP) model to facilitate regulatory requirements for installation of micro-hydel plants as well as for distribution through mini-grids;

Development of micro and small hydropower should be linked with the burning issues such as climate change, social inclusion, energy security, sustainability, development of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs), economic empowerment and poverty alleviation;

Effective measures shall be taken by the governments of the developing countries to ensure the synchronization of mini-grids, availability of low head turbines and appropriate technologies for non-mountainous regions, and publish standard operative procedures and guidelines of the micro and small hydropower plants preferably in local languages;

For international compatibility, standardization in the designs of the micro and small hydropower system is desirable for harmonization of trade in this emerging renewable energy technology among the NAM and other developing countries to the extent that such attempts do not discourage the innovation in technology domains and identification of strategy for upscaling.

In line with the above resolutions, the Regional Centre of Excellence in Micro Hydro (RCEMH) established in Kathmandu offers itself as a common platform for developing countries for standardization of micro and small hydropower system and its components, generating and sharing relevant database as well as knowledge, networking among the professionals, capacity building and carrying out collaborative research for enhancement of efficiency, reduction of cost, expansion of technological domains, and identification of strategy for up-scaling.

THUS, RESOLVED AND ADOPTED AT KATHMANDU, NEPAL ON THIS DAY, 21st OF APRIL 2013.